by Smith, HD
Sydney let out a startled yelp and looked around frantically, which was when I realized that from her perspective, I’d just disappeared. My senses had been correct. Only one man knew how to do that, but what the hell was Ronin, Mab’s one-time bounty hunter, doing here?
I mumbled something unintelligible into his hand.
“Shhh, lass, this’ll only take a minute,” he said with that sexy Scottish Burr.
I tried to struggle free, but Ronin was significantly stronger than me.
Sydney’s eyes darted around the room, her face showing more concern. Sorrel hadn’t even looked up from the menu. What was up with him?
Pushing back from the table, Sydney stood.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Sorrel drawled.
“Claire just disappeared,” she said, her voice higher than normal.
“So?” he said as if that were nothing.
“Screw this shit.” She turned to leave.
Of course, that was just when a group of ninjas—yeah, ninjas—stormed the restaurant.
The hoard, dressed in head-to-toe black fatigues, including the visible eyes-only balaclava, shot Sydney and Sorrel with tranquillizer darts.
I kicked at Ronin’s legs and attempted to wriggle free.
“Be quiet, lass, or they might hear ye,” he whispered.
Fuck, I didn’t care if they heard me. I didn’t want them to take Sydney. I was a bit annoyed at Sorrel right now, but they couldn’t have him, either. I heard the faint crackle of power as wisps of energy circled my wrists.
“Settle down, lass.”
Ronin was about to go back on the jackass list—the one he’d been on when he kidnapped me last summer. My thoughts went to the first time I’d met him: the day I’d stepped through a portal at the office and wound up face-down in the canyon. The power at my core roiled and a line snapped to that location in the past. In a blink, I was there, but not alone. Ronin still held me, but I’d somehow slipped through time and space with him in tow.
“What the fuck?” he muttered, which were my sentiments exactly.
How the hell had I walked through time? I’d lost the ability and the power needed to walk through time when Harry removed his blood last summer. Now, without warning, I’d done it with a rider in tow. I had no clue how it happened. Ronin was also the Prince of Time, but he had no memory of that. Based on his reaction, he hadn’t brought us here intentionally or unintentionally.
I briefly noticed that the other Ronin had just snapped his whip around the other me’s waist. Neither of them appeared to notice our future selves were in the in-between, unseen. My thoughts turned back to Sydney and we slipped the line back to the restaurant, but there was no Sydney. The ninjas were gone, and they’d taken Sorrel and Sydney.
Without a word, Ronin released me. I stumbled forward, reappearing in the restaurant and causing the two hippy-chick waitresses that had craned their heads around the corner to gasp and run away. I closed my eyes and stepped outside my body. I tried to focus on Sydney, to snap a line to her, but nothing happened. It was like the power wasn’t there anymore. I opened my eyes and glared at where I sensed Ronin.
His disembodied voice broke the silence. “How the hell did you do that, lass?”
Ignoring his question because I had no clue how I’d done it, I said, “Show yourself.”
A second later he materialized dressed like the ninjas sans the head cover.
I backed away. “What have you done? Why did they take the girl?”
“We were just in the canyon—weeks ago if I’m not mistaken, lass. How exactly did you do that?”
“Tell me why you took the girl.”
He laughed. “Or what? Your power has waned.”
My temper flared, sending ripples of energy over my skin. Taking a chance, I rushed forward and grabbed Ronin’s wrist. Focusing on my apartment, I snapped a line to my office and blinked us there. My power was limited, but I could contain almost anyone inside this warded room. I stepped away from him and used my will to block the doors. I activated the glyphs Cinnamon placed on the walls to secure the room. It was my payment for forbidding the boys to retaliate against her for what she’d done to them in Purgatory as the Easter Hare.
“I guess my power hasn’t waned that much,” I said, staring at his shocked expression.
I was thankful the jump worked again. I took the chance that Ronin was the new component in the equation, which was how I’d been able to make it happen. Something about his power combined with my ability to walk through time made it work. He was the Prince of Time, after all, even if neither of us knew what that really meant. I’d promised Leland Kane, Jayne’s old advisor, that I’d bring him to the cottage, a promise I still had to keep. Ronin’s innate ability, whether he knew it or not, was what allowed me to travel with him even though my own power was still lacking. Of course, he didn’t need to know that.
His eyes darted around the room, taking in his surroundings. I felt something activate the wards—he was trying to leave. “Release me,” he yelled.
“Tell me where they took the girl.”
He laughed. “Why do you care? Frankly, lass, I don’t see why you’d associate with Mab’s enforcer.”
Mab’s enforcer? There was no way Sydney was Mab’s anything. She hadn’t even recognized the Winter Queen’s name. I shook my head. “You’re wrong. She…”
“What, is a young girl? Innocent? I’ve known her for three years and that girl was never innocent.”
Three years? “Sydney? Pink and blue hair—sees death on your face, Sydney?”
He narrowed his eyes. “The hair is new.”
This time, I laughed. “You know she’s a twin, right? A contender for the Fallen Queen’s throne?” Shit, was Sydney’s sister Mab’s enforcer? Nothing Mab did would surprise me.
He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it.
“Why did they take Sorrel?”
“I knew of no orders to take the spawn,” he said as if that was a reasonable answer.
“Great, so your boys just tranqued an innocent girl and took off with a powerful hellspawn under my protection. Way to run a tight ship, Ronin.”
He growled.
“Really, growling?”
“This isn’t good,” he said. “My employer won’t be pleased.”
“Are you kidding me? That’s all you have to say. You’re mad because your boss will be pissed. I want them back. Now.”
Ronin gave me a hard look. “Your power is weak and my loyalty belongs to another, lass. So, sorry, I can’t help you.”
“What is it with you and horrible bosses? Are you cursed or something? I at least assume you aren’t working for Mab again, right? Or did she lose her enforcer and you were sent to fetch her?”
“I must go,” he said. “Release me.”
“Sorry, big guy, not going to happen. I want to know who you’re working for. Sydney isn’t the enforcer and you can’t take one of the quads and get away with it. I’ll be happy to explain that to your boss.” I’d be happy to let Mace explain that to his boss.
I sensed him try to leave again, but my wards were holding.
“You’re out of your league, lass. Now let me go,” Ronin demanded.
Who did he think he was? I was the flippin’ Fall Queen, so unless he was working for Mab, how exactly would I be out of my league? “No,” I said. “Not until I have some answers. There’s something we need to discuss, so I don’t want you running off until we’ve made some arrangements.”
Leland Kane wanted Ronin brought to the cottage. I needed the power to walk through time back in my control, and for that, I needed Ronin’s cooperation. With his help, I could go back to the fourth realm and figure out why my power wasn’t getting stronger, or use him to go to the meadow and clear that debt to Kane. I assumed Ronin would want to know he was the Prince of Time.
Ronin laughed. “So not only do you want your people returned, but you need something from me now? I’m not exactly feeli
ng charitable, lass.”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s the wrong girl, and if your boss is who I think he is, the big three have already noticed. Do you really want to get on the Devil’s bad side by taking Sorrel?” Of course, they thought Sydney was Mab’s enforcer, so maybe my argument was weaker than I thought. His boss didn’t care about pissing off the big three.
He snorted, crossed his arms over his chest, and looked down his nose at me. “And who do you think my employer is lass?”
I considered the options. I didn’t think it was Mab. Why would Ronin go back to her? Mr. X, the owner of the spelled restaurants downtown was also an option, but Sydney had been working for him for weeks—although she did say she didn’t think any of the employees at the Jaded Dragon had ever met him. Someone had thought she was Mab’s enforcer, but that could have been a random on the street, not necessarily someone from the Jaded Dragon.
Even if the employees weren’t convinced X was the true ruler of Fallen, he was clearly the guy turning things upside-down in Underworld. The big three had noticed, but it wasn’t like it all started yesterday. Some of those restaurants had been up for weeks and there were lots of closed businesses. X’s operation was clearly big enough to effect druids, pagans, and demons. So what had tipped off the big three?
The mob. Harry said his boys would take care of it, but The Boss said they agreed I would have to do it. Maybe they thought it was localized to the fallen because of places like the Jaded Dragon. Even with the spells, the mob would have eventually noticed. Profits from protection services would have started falling short.
Johnny could have reported that to Harry, who then discussed it with Mab and The Boss. But why wouldn’t X just open new businesses and keep paying the protection money—at least while he finished building his empire? It was like he just stopped expanding, or slowed it to a trickle, and the closed businesses were drawing attention the spells couldn’t counteract.
No matter what, X was clearly a major player in all of this. Ronin had to work for X. Deciding to take a chance and see how Ronin reacted, I said, “Mr. X, or whatever name he’s using. The guy who owns the restaurant we were in and the Jaded Dragon, and is probably responsible for all the spells downtown making people incapable of seeing what’s happening. That guy, he’s your boss.”
Ronin didn’t move, but his lack of response was telling. I smiled as I saw through his facade. He raised his chin, remaining defiant.
“How can I get Sydney and Sorrel back?” I asked. “And we do need to talk—it’s about who you really are. I mean, if that’s something you’d be interested in knowing.”
His left eyebrow quirked up. “Pray tell, lass, who am I?”
“Not until I have Sydney and Sorrel.”
He laughed. “I can’t go back on my word to my employer, but I’ll do what I can to save your girl. The spawn’s on his own.”
“Your loyalty is admirable, but why do you always seem to be working for the bad guy?”
Ronin shrugged. “Bad is a matter of perception, lass. The Devil’s bad, Harry’s bad, even you’re bad—a killer, I believe. My employer is no worse than the rest.”
“How did you know Sydney, who you thought was the enforcer, was downtown?”
“She’d been spotted by an informant.”
“Until yesterday, she worked at the Jaded Dragon, so why now?” I asked. “At least, I assume it was a standing order.”
Ronin shrugged. “My employer has many varied interests. They don’t all hold his attention equally.”
“Right, he has people for that. Well, those people really should have continued to pay the protection money because the big three are now aware of the problem,” I said, taking a guess at how X’s operation had finally been noticed.
A buzzing sound came from Ronin. He reached down and pulled his phone from a pocket on his cargo pants. I considered trying to stop him, but my only option was to take him to the past and I wasn’t sure how easy that would be if he decided to fight me.
“What?” he barked into the phone.
I couldn’t hear the caller.
“No, stay there. Wait for me and don’t hurt the girl. Why did you take the spawn?” After a minute, he said, “Who changed the order?” Ronin grunted and then ended the call.
“Why didn’t you just tell them to let her go?” I asked.
He sighed, “It’s not that simple, lass. And I’m not convinced she isn’t the enforcer.”
“She isn’t.”
He chuckled. “I’ll need to see her myself. And if she’s a contender, lass, why haven’t you already killed her?”
“The prophecies are complicated, but at least now I know where her twin is: Mab’s enforcer, did you say?”
“Ah,” he said. “You’re going to use her as bait to get the other one?”
I shook my head. “That wasn’t my plan.”
“That’s probably a good thing, lass, because did I fail to mention that the enforcer is also Mab’s untouchable?”
I grimaced at that news and he laughed.
Fuck me. Of course she was Mab’s untouchable. Why would Mab try to play fair? Of course she’d try to make her contender un-killable. “Why does X want her?”
Ronin shrugged.
“What, you’re just a follow-the-orders guy? That didn’t work out so well for you last time. There has to be a reason.”
“Not one I can discuss. Now it’s time I left. Drop your wards.”
I shook my head. “I told you we have things to discuss.”
“Oh, right, you’re going to tell me who I really am. Alright, go on then. Who am I, Claire?”
“It’ll work better if I show you.”
I grasped for his arm, but he pulled it out of my reach.
“Chicken?” I goaded.
“I could just knock you unconscious, lass. I doubt the wards will hold up then.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Cinnamon created them, and let’s just say she’s not just good at being gorgeous. Not to give you any ideas, but I’m fairly sure they’ll hold even if I’m dead.”
He flattened his lips into a hard line.
“It won’t take long for me to show you,” I assured him. “Then, I want your word you’ll help Sydney—and Sorrel—get out of this mess with your boss.”
“I believe what you’re asking for is a favor, lass.”
“I’m doing you a favor,” I argued.
He laughed. “Funny, because I don’t seem to remember asking you for one. So if you want my cooperation on this little walkabout you have planned, then you’ll owe me a favor, lass. I’ll try my best to help your girl, as long as she isn’t who we want, but as I said before, the hellspawn is on his own. And this help I’m providing with the girl isn’t tied to our deal. You’ll get a bit of cooperation from me. I’ll go where you want me to go and do what you need me to do for the next two hours—for a favor—but that’s it. Do you still want the deal?”
Shit, that wasn’t what I wanted, but I needed his help to use my ability. If I could get back to the fourth realm I could get more of my own power, I hoped. Either way, I needed to take him to see Kane. He said he’d try to help Sydney. She wasn’t the girl he wanted, so he had no reason to keep her, but was that enough to owe him a favor? Did I really have a choice?
He looked at his watch, then pulled out his phone and sent a short text. He returned the phone to his pocket. “You’ve got two hours if you want them. Then I’ll stop playing nice.”
“Fair enough,” I said. “I agree.” A small twinge of pain touched my shoulder. Blinking to see my second sight, I found a faint line between Ronin and I: a physical connection representing the favor I’d just agreed to. Ignoring it for now, I held out my hand to him. This time, he stepped forward and I laid my hand on his arm. I thought about the meadow, about Leland Kane, and the dragon Tarik—but nothing happened. Of course, I’d felt nothing when I’d thought of the advisor last summer, but I’d still wound up in the clearing about to be shot.
<
br /> I opened my eyes, half expecting to be staring down a double-barrel shotgun, but I was still in my office. Ronin stood there with a smug expression on his face and one eyebrow raised.
I tried again, but nothing happened. Why wasn’t this working? I tried to snap a line to the fourth realm, but that didn’t work either.
“I don’t have all day, lass. The clock is ticking.”
“It’s not working. I can’t get the line to snap.” I dropped my hand from his arm. Frustrated, I paced the room.
“Maybe it’s me. Try to go alone.”
I raised an incredulous eyebrow at him. Was he being funny? “I can’t. It only works with you. Why else do you think I made the deal?”
He chuckled. “Well then, it sounds like you need your power back. A pity you don’t still have Harry’s blood.”
Glaring, I said, “Like I’d be able to get one of them to juice me if I did. You’re not helping.”
Still chuckling, he sat down on the love seat and stretched out his legs. Leaning back, he closed his eyes. “Just let me know when I can go. Unless, of course, you’ve got some of Harry’s blood hanging around.”
Was he serious? “And what if I did?”
“I might know a guy.”
“What guy? A guy that can infuse me with Harry’s blood?”
Ronin cracked open one eye. “You need the blood first, lass. But you’ve only got me for one hour and fifty-eight minutes, so you better think fast.”
I pursed my lips. It wasn’t like Harry would ever give me any blood, and he’d removed it from the museum after the “incident” last summer. I thought back to that day in the museum when Mab forced Harry’s blood into me. She’d called it from the blood room, but the vial hadn’t been full. I remembered thinking it was odd. I’d just seen it and it was like the others, full to the top. Had there been more than one vial, or had someone taken some of the blood before Mab used it? Could that someone have been me?
Fuck yeah. I smiled and said, “Get up. I know where we can get the blood.”
Chapter 9